Improved safety-switch



'igen l said switch-rails to the said main-track rails.

CHARLES A. S TEMPLE, OF -GREEN WOOD VILLAGE, ASSIGNOR. TO HIMSELF AND STEPHEN E. TEMPLE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Leners Bamm No. 89,092, dared April 2o, 1869.V

IMPRovED SAFETY-SWITCH.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all persons to whom these presents may come:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. S. TEMPLE, of Greenwood Village, of the town of Wakefield, of the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Safety-Switch for ltailways and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in thc accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l denotes a top view of it, as applied to a main track and its turnout.

Figure 2 is a side elevation ofthe saine.

Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are transverse sections, taken through the `switch on the lines A B C D, respectively.

Figure 7 is an under side view ofthe switch.

1n these drawings-'- E E E' E are the rails of the main track, while F F are those ofthe turnout, or sideling-track, they being arranged and supported on cross-sills G H I K, in manner as represented.

The switch is placed between the rails E E, and the rails E' E', of the main track, and ispivoted to and rests, near one of its ends, upon a cross-sill, L, arranged alongside ofthe sill H, the pivots of the switch being shown at a a. Y

The main parts of the switch are two rails, M M, each oi' which is curved, or bent, in manner so that they may diverge from one another, as shown in top View in iig. 1.

These rails M M, at their pivoted ends, are always in conjunction with the two'inain-track rails E E, so that a railway-car may pass from the said main-track rails, to and upon the said switch-rails, o r from the \Vhen, however, the switch-rail M, which is nearest to the turnout-rail F', is in conjunction with. that rail, the other switch-rail M will extend a short distance by the outer side of the main-track rail E', which is furthest from the rail F.

The two switch-mils M M rest on and are also pivoted, near their opposite ends, to across-bar, N, which is parallel to the sill L, and is formed in longitudinal section, as shown in iig. 6.

1t rests on supports yO O, so as to be capable of being moved, or slid endwise thereon, and is provided with shoulders, b b, to arrest its movements, by bringing np against the supports O O.

There rest on the bar N, two long auxiliary switchplates l l, which are pivoted to the said bar, as shown, atc c, each being capable of turning horizontally on the bar, and toward and away from thc next adjacent switchrail M. vOn each oi' the plates l l, are two tapering tongues, which are formed and arranged in manner as shown at lt S and 1t S', their upper surfaces being level with those ofthe track and switch-rails.

The switch-plates rest also on a cross-bar, T, which exl tends underneath and is pivoted to the two rails M M.

There are intermediate supports to the switch-rails and plates, the saine being as shown in figs. 3 and 5.

A bow-spring, U, arranged between the two plates P P', or a separate spring to each, serves to press each plate toward the next adjacent switch-rail M. j

Au arm, V, projects from each of the plates P P', underneath the next adjacent switch-rail M, and is constructed so as to engage with a lever-latch, W, applied to the outer side of the rail M, and pivoted thereto, the fnleruin, or pivot being shown at f.

A spring, g, fastened to the rail M, is employed to press down the lever-latch into engagement with the arm V, so as to hold the switch-plate closely against the switch-rail.

The tail of the lever-latch extends somewhat above the top of the switch-rail, and is formed with an inclined plane, g'. y

When the switch is moved, -so as to bring the tongues R R' into conjunction, or line with the main-track rails E E', the switch will be adjusted for a railway-carriage to pass from the rails E E, to the rails E E', of the main track, or from the rails E E', to and upon the rails E E, as the inner edges ofthe tongues will be in line with those of the main-track rails.

When, under ordinary circumstances, a common switch be in alignment with the main-track rails, and an attempt be made to run a car from the turnout, or sideling to and upon the switch, the car would be thrown oit the track, because the switch would not be in alignment with the sideling; but, with my safetyswitch, the car, in running from the sideling, or turnout-track to the main track, will have its wheels on one side run on the switch-rail M, in conj unction with therail F of the turnout, and the flanges of the wheels of that side will pass lbetween the tongue lt', and the next adjacent switch-rail M. Furthermore, each wheel,while running on'the said rail M, will pass on the plane g' of the next latch-lever W, and will move the said lever so as to unlock the plate P fromthe rail M. The wheel, continuing to move on, its iiange will pass on between the switch-rail and plate, and the latter will give way so as to enable the wheel to continue its course on the switchrail. The wheels on the other side ofthe car will run on the tongue S, and from thence upon the tonguelt, and finally will enter upon the nextadjacent switchrail. In this way, the car will be made to pass from the sideling over the switch, and upon the main track, without accident. or being thrown off. l

It' now wc suppose the switch to be set so as to direct a car from thc main track to the turnout, in which case the tongues lt lt will be in conjunction with the rails F F', one of the switch-rails M will be in con junction with the main-track rail E', and the other rail lwill he in conjunction with the tongue S'.

N ow ii', under this last position of the switch, we suppose a car to bc running on the track-rails E E ,toward the rails E E, instead of being thrown oli` the track, as it would be with an ordinary switch,its wheels, on one side, will be upheld by the tongues S R', and those on the other will run on the switchrail M next them, and they will act on the next locking-lever W, so as t0 uulatch the plate P from the said rail M, in order to allow the flanges of the wheels to pass between the tongue R and the said rail M. After their passage may have been effected, the plate P, by its spring, will be borne up against the rail M, and will be locked theretoby the locking-lever, which will be pressed down by its spring. lThus it will be seen that the switch becomes a perfect safety-switch, to direct the cars along their course, even when its tongues R R may be out of alignment therewith.

The switch-plates, at or near their free ends, should have means of keeping them down upon their supports,

fied.

CHARLES A. S. TEMPLE. Witnesses: R. H. EDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

